🔗 Share this article Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Allegedly Hired by UK-Registered Firms Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children. These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives. While accounts of violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The company remains operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district. Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes. "This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details. Network Led by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm. Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller. The two list the UK as their "place of residency". Impact on the War and Broader Concerns The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones. These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance." He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.
Tucked away close to a shiny football stadium of a Premier League club in the British capital is a squat, nondescript apartment building. Behind its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a small flat linked to murderous crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south. According to British official documents, this apartment in north London is tied to a transnational web of companies implicated in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of numerous atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Scores of Ex- Colombian Military Recruited A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to fight with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a armed faction blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of women and children. These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ seizure of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a wave of violence that experts believe has claimed over 60,000 lives. While accounts of violence mount, links have been identified between the fighters contracted to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital. London Flat Linked to Sanctioned Firm The flat in north London is listed to a company named Zeuz Global, established by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the US treasury for hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF. Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their fifties – are described in documents at the UK company registry as living in the United Kingdom. The company remains operational. The day after the United States imposed sanctions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global abruptly moved its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district. Both hotels said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes. "This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government claims are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to set up a UK company based from a flat in the capital," said an expert, a analyst and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan. Questions Raised Over UK Company Oversight Analysts argue the saga raises questions over how people publicly sanctioned by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the UK capital. The British foreign secretary has censured the RSF for "systematic killings, abuse and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide. When asked about the company, the registry did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the company's operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals. Contacting Zeuz proved unsuccessful; its website, created in spring, was labelled as "under construction" with no contact details. Network Led by Retired Officer According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Gulf state. The US alleges this individual of having a key part in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian employment agency. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm. Another dual national was similarly censured for overseeing a business accused of processing money and salaries for the operation hiring the mercenaries. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked with this individual engaged in many wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the official announcement said. Company Registration and Intensifying Conflict In April of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global. Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, slaughtering more than 1,500 innocent people. After its capture, the site was handed over to Colombian mercenaries, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher. The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the firm, with one named as a key controller. The two list the UK as their "place of residency". Impact on the War and Broader Concerns The hiring of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the conflict, analysts say. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, trainers, and pilots for drones. These aircraft were key in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions. "The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing daily fatalities," added the analyst. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance." He added that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company underlined broader concerns over the absence of rigorous checks when firms are set up. "Having a UK company like this is a passport for criminals to do business with respectable entities. It's still more difficult to join a gym in most cases than to establish a UK company," he stated. Government Response and Ongoing Allegations A UK official said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide greater assurance about who was establishing and controlling UK companies. The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from the South American nation's government. One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher. The United Arab Emirates, long accused of arming the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals providing fighters to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations. A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to atrocities, the protection of non-combatants, and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access." They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.